What else could I have bought?

[zcacogp]

Chaps,

I don'thave the original receipt, but the first owner of my car would have paid (at a guess) around £32,000 for my car when it was brand new in 1989.

Out of interest, what else would have been available at around this budget, of a similar ilk to a 944S2 in 1989? What would he have chosen against? What other showrooms would he have walked into, and what other cars would he have considered? (And, of course, how have those contenders of the day fared against the test of time, today?)


Oli.

 

[peanut]

interesting question Oli as my S2 is a 89 model too. I have no idea but I'm going to see what I can find out.
I know my old 928 cost the same as a 4 bed house when it was new ![8|]

 

[Dico]

In 1989 £20-£22000 would have bought a Lotus Elan turbo. If kept in reasonable nick would be worth around £5000 today.
0-60 = 6.7 seconds, top speed = 137mph. Around 4000 produced worldwide.

 

[Diver944]

I have a couple of books that contain reprints of magazine articles that included all the 944 variants and there were several that include the S2 coupe between 1989 and 1991 priced between £32,000 and £38,000 depending on year and options.

Other cars that they tested them with were Nissan 300ZX, Mazda RX7 and Jaguar XJS

Interestingly a few years before in 1987 there are numerous test including the 944S at £24k and they pitted that against the Audi Quattro, Lotus Excel, Toyota Supra, Mercedes 190E, Sierra RS Cosworth and Renault GTA Turbo

 

[duncan_956]

Have an old Fast Lane mag, dated Oct 86, where the 911 Carrera (with the SE equipment) is tested against the Renault GTA V6 and, classified as a direct competitor........the 944 Turbo, it's possible replacement? (Funny how things turned out.)

The mag states that the Carrera coupe is £31,149 (the turbo with SE quoted at £86,443!) and the 944 costs £32,440. The 944 is the sensible one to go for and is very similar performance wise, but the 911 has the fiery addictive character and this in-definable ingredient.

I knew i kept these mags for a reason..

 

[duncan_956]

EFA.

Sorry, the standard 911 was £31,149, the 911 with the SE as tested was £36,000 plus.

Just been re-reading the group test....again!!

 

[George Elliott]

Oli,
a different angle but - a £60k house with a £30k mortgage to rent - perhaps £180k minimum today or a rental income each month. (and keep £2k for an '82 GTi)

boring ........but beats working for it

George

944t

 

[zcacogp]

ORIGINAL: George Elliott

Oli,
a different angle but - a £60k house with a £30k mortgage to rent - perhaps £180k minimum today or a rental income each month. (and keep £2k for an '82 GTi)

boring ........but beats working for it

Yes, and that's why this is a forum of people who drive old, second-hand Porsches! (I have a fair idea of how much the house I am in at the moment would have cost back then, and it's not a fat lot more than £30k. I also know how much I paid for it 3 years ago, and wince ... !)

Keep them ideas coming chaps. They're interesting. (Paul - if those road tests happened to accidentally slip across a scanner then I'd be quite interested if the accident could also involve eMailing them to me ... IYSWIM! Thanks ... )


Oli.

 

[pauljmcnulty]

I don't think that cost comes into it. When the cars were new it was the decade of decadence, and red braces matched the company car.

My Father owned an '82 and '86 944 as company cars. The value was irrelevant, the image all. I guess that his car progression might put it in context....

He came via BMW 2002 , and an early 5 series[]. Then an Alfa GTV that has serious rust from new, so he changed it for a GTV6 that needed several rather expensive clutch changes and then fell apart from rust at about 2 years old. Left Porsche ownership as the business went bust and the points added up. Through a Merc 190 2.3-16 [], a Cavalier GSI [] and into old age and a series of Merc C-classes [&o].

 

[appletonn]

I have the original invoice for my car and someone paid almost £44k for it in 1991...[&:]

That would still buy a lot of car today, which makes the price i paid for it in December seem all the better value for money...[][]

 

[Black_JPN]

My Dad purchased an '89 Lotus Excel in about 1990 for around £26k. Back then we thought it was amazing. I guess new it would have been around 30k the year before. Quite rare but it was a front engined 2+2 layout and was often compared to the 944 in magazines of the time. It had the same highly tuned 2.2 Vauxhall engine from the Esprit only without the turbo, it went well with drive going to the back but never as well as the 944. Sadly, it is not really a thing of beauty having been descended from the old Eclat/Elite. It certainly hasn't aged as well as the 944 or the Esprit. Too many square angles..

This one is pacific blue, there are vague similarities to the 944 in terms of design. I have fond memories being a 12 year old, squeezed in the back, on a trip down to Norfolk.

 

[appletonn]

"Vauxhall engine"...???! Better not let the guys from the Lotus forums hear you say that...[&:]

The initial 2.0 litre Lotus 904 engine was first used in the Lotus 62 Europa racecar, and indeed used a Vauxhall iron block, termed the Lotus-Vauxhall engine.

The subsequent 900 series engines were alloy block and heads and all Lotus, I believe.


I've always liked the Excel, but I remember when my Mum was driving around in her 924S and a friend of hers had an Excel at the same time - it always seemed to be off the road being fettled!

 

[James_G]

Talking of Lotuses, how much would a Lotus Carlton have been in 1991, compared to say a well specced Turbo of a similar vintage? Clearly nothing like each other, but interesting don't you think?

 

[appletonn]

Ah yes the 'scandalous' Lotus Carlton - all of the fun police were up in arms about its 175mph top speed and the deliciously non PC advertising!

That is definitely a future collectible car - 377bhp, rwd and no stability control... sounds like a weakling compared to Paul et als cars []

 

[duncan_956]

Just browsing through the 944 section of PistonHeads, this was in there and thought of these posts......

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/317502.htm

The price that it's up for is very similar to the S2 in the market place.

Look at the dash......takes me back a bit....ha ha!!

 

[zcacogp]

ORIGINAL: duncan_956


Just browsing through the 944 section of PistonHeads, this was in there and thought of these posts......

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/317502.htm

The price that it's up for is very similar to the S2 in the market place.

Look at the dash......takes me back a bit....ha ha!!

Crumbs! That looks positively neanderthal compared with even an early 944 ... dashboard looks VERY primative (not to mention the seats, steering wheel, gearstick et al), and the engine bay engineering is .... well, from a different era!

Perhaps this shows how far ahead of the competition the 944 was when it was on sale. And perhaps this guy is realising it too ... look what he wants to p/x it for ... !


Oli.

 

[Gary C]

humm, looks quite modern to me. All the switches seem to be visible and even the heater controls are on the dash !

 

[xenon]

Dash puts me in mind of an Austin Maxi.

 

[appletonn]

ORIGINAL: Gary C

humm, looks quite modern to me. All the switches seem to be visible and even the heater controls are on the dash !

LOL [][][]

But I do miss the dashboard in my old 964....[X(]